Posted July 26, 2022, 1:43 a.m. by Lieutenant Junior Grade Cherp'Eng (Scientist) (Russell Watt)
Shortly after arrival, Cherp’Eng began unpacking his belongings. He travelled light and he put his belongings away … but there was a box there that he didn’t pack at the bottom of his pack. On top of the box there was a locking device that he could see would need Avisarite DNA to open it. He was the only Avisarite on board and so he could only imagine it was for him to open. Why would someone back home send one of them with him, though? And when had they given it to him without his knowledge? Why were they secretive about it? What was in it? Only one way to find out.
He lowered his torso until his legs were covered and then he bent his neck so he could study the box closely. It was marked by his Roost’s emblem and he saw his name spelt in the flowing Avisarite script on it.
Curiouser and Curiouser.
He took his tricorder from a table and tried to scan the box, but got no readings from it. He would have to try to open it to find out what it was. Returning his tricorder to the table, Cherp’Eng touched it with with the ‘finger’ and opposable ‘thumb’ at the end of his left hand and watched as the box opened up. Inside were twigs, leaves and a few stones and in the middle of the items was a large spotted egg.
Was this for real? Cherp’Eng wondered, feeling his heart skip a beat as he looked at the egg, who would have done this, he wondered … he remembered making his nest back on Avi II but thought he had gone before any of the females laid an egg in his nest. So what, had they laid it in the box instead, knowing he’d be off planet for the laying season? How could he do this on his own? It was a community affair raising their young and … he wasn’t ready to do this by himself. He got into a flap as he looked at the egg and wondered when he … oh that night just before he found out he he was returning to service and he was visited by Skrork’ar from a neighbouring roost. Could this really have been the result of that one night? He worked out how long it had been … roughly 16 months … oh boy, he had a lot of nesting to do.
What would this mean for him? Would he be able to remain in service? Could he give his new Hatchling a good life and enough of an education on his own? And what would he do while on duty?
Enough time to worry about that later, for now, he had to sit on his egg.
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